LAKEPORT -- The prosecution rested its case Wednesday against Robby Alan Beasley, the Clearlake man accused of killing two Maine residents in Lower Lake almost three years ago.

Attorney Stephen Carter, who represents Beasley, is expected to call the first defense witness Thursday morning at the Lake County Courthouse.

Beasley, 32, pleaded not guilty to three felonies, including two counts of murder, and denied several special allegations in connection with the shooting deaths of Frank and Yvette Maddox.

The prosecution alleges Beasley shot the couple in a turnout on Morgan Valley Road, dragged both down an embankment and shot them in the head again before leaving the bodies unburied the night of Jan. 22, 2010.

A man who stopped at the turnout to urinate discovered the remains of Frank Maddox, 32, and his wife Yvette, 40, about six weeks later.

Beasley reportedly recruited the couple from his home state to work on a Lake County marijuana operation in the fall of 2009. He allegedly killed the pair after suspecting they stole pot from his apartment.

Deputy district attorney Art Grothe called more than two dozen witnesses during the course of 10 days while presenting his case.

Key testimony came early in the trial from Elijah Bae McKay, the Lower Lake man who said he gave Beasley the 9 mm handgun used in the slayings and then helped his friend destroy evidence afterward.

McKay, 30, also faces two murder charges stemming from the Maddoxes' deaths. He is not currently standing trial but remains in custody at the Lake County Hill Road Correctional Facility.

The alleged accomplice told jurors Beasley admitted killing the couple and revealed details about the crime the next day.

Grothe presented the remaining evidence and witnesses in an effort to corroborate McKay's story.

Four law enforcement officials testified Wednesday, including Lake County Sheriff's Office evidence technician Elona Porter. She primarily talked about evidence from the crime scene.

The jury saw about 40 crime-scene photographs, a handful of which depicted the decaying bodies on the ground surrounded by brush and foliage. "There were maggots. It was a putrid smell," Porter said.

Investigators discovered identification cards, cash, marijuana, receipts and a cellphone in the victims' possession. Beasley's nickname, "AK-74," and his alleged phone number were written on one receipt found in Frank Maddox's pocket.

In total, 11 live 9 mm rounds and empty casings were found at the turnout as well as down near the bodies, Porter said.

Additionally, jurors learned for the first time Wednesday that Beasley had a past felony conviction, but they did not hear about the nature of the crime.

Beasley was convicted of criminal threatening with a firearm in Maine in 2007. The third count in the double-murder case alleges Beasley was a felon in possession of a gun the night of the shooting.

The defense case is set to open Thursday at 9 a.m. in Lake County Superior Court, Department 3. Carter indicated McKay could be among the witnesses called.

Jeremy Walsh is a staff reporter for Lake County Publishing. Reach him at 263-5636, ext. 37 or jwalsh@record-bee.com. Follow trial coverage live on Twitter, @JeremyDWalsh or #RobbyBeasley.